8 On the fifth day of the sixth month of the sixth year, I was sitting in my house. The leaders of Judah were sitting in front of me. [ a ] While I sat there, the Almighty Lord took hold of me with great power. [ b ]
2 I looked up and I saw something that looked like a man. The lower part of his body looked like fire. Above that, his body looked like bright metal. 3 He put out something in the shape of a hand. He took hold of the hair on my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up, high in the sky, and took me to Jerusalem. [ c ] This happened in the vision which God gave to me. I came to the north gate of the temple's inside yard. In that place there was a disgusting idol that made God very angry. 4 Then I saw that the bright glory of Israel's God was there. It was like the glory that I had seen beside the River Kebar.
5 Then the Lord said to me, ‘Son of man, look up towards the north.’ When I looked, I saw the disgusting idol. It stood at the entrance, on the north side of the altar gate.
6 He said to me, ‘Son of man, look at what they are doing! Israel's people are doing very disgusting things here. They are chasing me far away from my holy temple. But you will see even worse things than these.’
7 Then the Lord took me to the entrance of the temple's yard. As I looked, I saw a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, ‘Son of man, make a hole through the wall here.’ So I dug into the wall. I found a door in it.
9 He said to me, ‘Go in there. Look at the wicked things that they are doing in this place.’ 10 So I went in and I looked. I saw pictures of many things on the walls all around. There were pictures of snakes and other disgusting animals. There were also images of the things that Israel's people were worshipping. 11 70 of Israel's leaders were there. Shaphan's son Jaazaniah, was also among them. Each of them held a pot to burn incense. The smell of the incense rose up above them.
12 The Lord said, ‘Son of man, look at the wicked things that Israel's leaders are doing! They are doing them secretly in the dark. Each of them has a room where they worship their images of idols. They say, “The Lord does not see us! The Lord has gone away from our land!” ’
13 The Lord said to me, ‘You will see even worse things that they are doing.’
14 Then he took me to entrance at the north gate of the temple. I saw some women who were sitting there. They were weeping because the god Tammuz was dead. [ d ] 15 He said to me, ‘Son of man, look at that! But you will see even worse things than these.’
16 Then the Lord took me to the inside yard of his temple. I could see about 25 men who were standing between the altar and the front of the temple. Their backs were turned towards the Lord 's temple. Their faces looked towards the east. They were bending down low to worship the sun that was rising in the east! [ e ]
17 The Lord said to me, ‘Son of man, look at that! The people of Judah are doing these disgusting things here in my temple! That is a terrible thing! And they are also doing violent things everywhere in their land. They continue to make me angry all the time. Look at them! They insult me as much as they can! 18 So now I will punish them in my great anger. I will not be sorry for them. I will not be kind to them. They may shout at me for help, but I will not listen to them.’
8 One day I, Ezekiel, was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting there in front of me. This was on the fifth day of the sixth month of the sixth year of exile. [ a ] Suddenly, the power of the Lord God came on me. 2 I saw something that looked like fire, like a man’s body. From the waist down, he was like fire. From the waist up, he was bright and shining like hot metal [ b ] in a fire. 3 Then I saw something that looked like an arm. The arm reached out and grabbed me by the hair on my head. Then the Spirit [ c ] lifted me into the air, and in a vision from God he took me to Jerusalem. He took me to the inner gate—the gate that is on the north side. The statue that makes God jealous is by that gate. 4 But the Glory of the God of Israel was there. The Glory looked just like the vision I saw in the valley by the Kebar Canal .
5 God spoke to me. He said, “Son of man, [ d ] look toward the north.” So I looked, and there, north of the Altar Gate by the entrance, was that statue that made God jealous.
6 Then God said to me, “Son of man, do you see what terrible things the people of Israel are doing? They built that thing here, right next to my Temple! And if you come with me, you will see even more terrible things!”
7 So I went to the entrance to the courtyard, and I saw a hole in the wall. 8 God said to me, “Son of man, make a hole in the wall.” So I made a hole in the wall, and there I saw a door.
9 Then God said to me, “Go in and look at the terrible, evil things that the people are doing here.” 10 So I went in and looked. I saw statues of all kinds of reptiles [ e ] and animals that you hate to think about. The statues were the filthy idols that the people of Israel worshiped. There were pictures of those animals carved all around on every wall!
11 Then I noticed that Jaazaniah son of Shaphan and the 70 elders of Israel were there with the people worshiping in that place. There they were, right at the front of the people, and each leader had his own incense dish in his hand. The smoke from the burning incense was rising into the air. 12 Then God said to me, “Son of man, do you see what the elders of Israel do in the dark? Each man has a special room for his own false god. They say to themselves, ‘The Lord cannot see us. The Lord left this country.’” 13 Then he said to me, “If you come with me, you will see these men doing even more terrible things!”
14 Then God led me to the entrance to the Lord ’s Temple. This gate was on the north side. I saw women sitting there and crying. They were sad about the false god Tammuz [ f ] !
15 God said to me, “Son of man, do you see these terrible things? Come with me and you will see things that are even worse than this!” 16 Then he led me to the inner courtyard of the Lord ’s Temple area. There I saw 25 men bowing down and worshiping. They were at the entrance to the Lord ’s Temple between the porch and the altar—but they were facing the wrong way. Their backs were to the Holy Place. They were bowing down to worship the sun!
17 Then God said, “Son of man, do you see this? The people of Judah think my Temple is so unimportant that they will do these terrible things here in my Temple! This country is filled with violence, and they constantly do things to make me angry. Look, they are wearing rings in their noses to honor the moon as a false god! [ g ] 18 I will show them my anger! I will not show them any mercy or feel sorry for them! They will shout to me—but I refuse to listen to them!”
8 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me.
2 Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.
3 And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.
4 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.
5 Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
6 He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.
7 And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.
8 Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.
9 And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
10 So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.
11 And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.
12 Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, the Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth.
13 He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord 's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
16 And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord 's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord , between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord , and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.
18 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
8 Now it came about in the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, as I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord [ a ] God fell upon me there. 2 Then I looked, and behold, something like the appearance of [ b ] a man; from His waist and downward there was the ( A ) appearance of fire, and from His waist and upward like the appearance of a glow, like ( B ) gleaming [ c ] metal. 3 And He extended the form of a hand and took me by the hair of my head; and the ( C ) Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the [ d ] north gate of the inner courtyard , where the seat of the idol of jealousy, which ( D ) provokes to jealousy, was located . 4 And behold, the ( E ) glory of the God of Israel was there, like the appearance which I saw in the plain.
5 Then He said to me, “Son of man, ( F ) raise your eyes now toward the north.” So I raised my eyes toward the north, and behold, to the north of the altar gate was this ( G ) idol of jealousy at the entrance. 6 And He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great ( H ) abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, so that I would be far from My sanctuary? But yet you will see still greater abominations!”
7 Then He brought me to the entrance of the courtyard, and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall. 8 And He said to me, “Son of man, now ( I ) dig through the wall.” So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance. 9 Then He said to me, “Go in and see the wicked abominations that they are committing here.” 10 So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of crawling things and animals and detestable things, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around. 11 And standing in front of them were ( J ) seventy ( K ) elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them, each man with his ( L ) censer in his hand; and the fragrance of the cloud of incense was rising. 12 Then He said to me, “Do you see, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each man in the rooms of his carved images? For they say, ‘ ( M ) The Lord does not see us; the Lord has ( N ) abandoned the land.’” 13 And He said to me, “Yet you will see still greater abominations which they are committing!”
14 Then He brought me to the entrance of the ( O ) gate of the Lord ’ s house which was toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for [ e ] Tammuz. 15 And He said to me, “Do you see this , son of man? Yet you will see still greater abominations than these!”
16 Then He brought me into the inner courtyard of the Lord ’ s house. And behold, at the entrance to the temple of the Lord , between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their ( P ) backs to the temple of the Lord while their faces were toward the east; and ( Q ) they were [ f ] prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun. 17 And He said to me, “Do you see this , son of man? Is it a trivial thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they have committed here, that they have ( R ) filled the land with violence and ( S ) provoked Me to anger repeatedly? Yet behold, they are [ g ] putting the twig to their nose! 18 Therefore, I indeed will deal in wrath. My eye will have no pity nor will I spare; and ( T ) though they cry out in My ears with a loud voice, yet I will not listen to them.”
8 In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders ( A ) of Judah were sitting before ( B ) me, the hand of the Sovereign Lord came on me there. ( C ) 2 I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man. [ a ] From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal. ( D ) 3 He stretched out what looked like a hand ( E ) and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up ( F ) between earth and heaven and in visions ( G ) of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, ( H ) where the idol that provokes to jealousy ( I ) stood. 4 And there before me was the glory ( J ) of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain. ( K )
5 Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol ( L ) of jealousy.
6 And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable ( M ) things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? ( N ) But you will see things that are even more detestable.”
7 Then he brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I saw a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.
9 And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here.” 10 So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls ( O ) all kinds of crawling things and unclean ( P ) animals and all the idols of Israel. ( Q ) 11 In front of them stood seventy elders ( R ) of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer ( S ) in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense ( T ) was rising. ( U )
12 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, ( V ) each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord does not see ( W ) us; the Lord has forsaken the land.’” 13 Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that are even more detestable.”
14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord , and I saw women sitting there, mourning the god Tammuz. ( X ) 15 He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this.”
16 He then brought me into the inner court ( Y ) of the house of the Lord , and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, ( Z ) were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun ( AA ) in the east. ( AB )
17 He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things ( AC ) they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence ( AD ) and continually arouse my anger? ( AE ) Look at them putting the branch to their nose! 18 Therefore I will deal with them in anger; ( AF ) I will not look on them with pity ( AG ) or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen ( AH ) to them.”
